The handkerchief I’m using for my immigration project has been in my family for many, many years. I had not known about the handkerchief or really anything about my great grandma. My grandma told me she ran her own clothing shop in New York and made handkerchiefs and more clothing. The handkerchief was one of the many items Mollie made in her shop but it was different than the clothing she made. A handkerchief is made for cleaning yourself, it is made out of nice soft cotton and usually you would see fancy people have the
             I chose this handkerchief because it is one of the only items my family has that belonged to Mollie. It was made by Mollie and it represents how she used her skills to make sure her family succeed in America after experiencing a hard life in Austria/Hungary. It is also precious to me and my family because Mollie died when I was 1 month old and I don’t have any memories of her and I would like a reminder of how my great grandma was talented and determined in many ways. Mollie had a pretty tough life. She came to America in 1914, her family fled the eastern europeans because there was a war. Their family tried to stay in villages but were turned away because the family was to large (5 kids). They tried to find a home in paris where they would be safe but ended up in england. After awhile they took a ship to America. At Ellis Island her older sister Ida was found to have an eye infection. They were almost sent back to Europe but a doctor said it was okay for them to stay in America.  

– J

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant